Tuesday, March 24, 2015

David Beckham does not plan to make any announcements during his visit to Miami this week, but according to a source close to his camp, the soccer icon hopes to have “significant’’ news to share “before summer’’ regarding the finalizing of his team ownership group, a name for his Miami Major League Soccer club and the proposed debut season -- maybe 2017, but more likely 2018.

Beckham’s group has narrowed down four or five stadium sites “he quite likes,’’ but the more immediate issue, said the source, is trying to secure additional financing to be able to impress the soccer-savvy South Florida market with a state-of-the-art stadium, international marquee players the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, and a world-class soccer academy that would attract top young talent from all over the Americas.

“The narrative has centered around the stadium site, and that is a priority, but it is a bit of a red herring,’’ said the source. “The group has very big ambitions and big-picture decisions to make; so the reason this is taking so long is that they decided to take a step back from the stadium site issue and focus on what kind of football club we can be, how deep are our pockets, how much money can we spend?

“Will we be a rich stable club or a very rich club that attracts a Ronaldo or a Messi, the caliber of player that would really excite fans in Miami. Will we build a 20,000-seat stadium or can we afford 60,000? Public land or private? Will our academy be the envy of MLS or the envy of all of Latin America? We have to compete with NYCFC and the L.A. Galaxy, and the new Orlando team, and that requires deep pockets.’’

MLS commissioner Don Garber has remained in close contact with Beckham’s group, and plans to re-visit Miami soon.

“David and his partners are continuing to work hard to finalize plans for a new stadium, and we are supporting them in their efforts,” said Garber, who was headed to Minneapolis for a Wednesday announcement of a 23rd MLS franchise in that city. “As we have said previously, we believe that with the right stadium and David’s passion, leadership and business acumen, Miami will be a great MLS market. We plan to visit Miami in the coming months and will meet with David and local officials.’’

Beckham and his manager/business partner Simon Fuller have spent the past several months talking to potential investors all over the world.

“Just because (Beckham) hasn’t been seen in Miami doesn’t mean he has lost interest,’’ said the source. “That is not true at all. He has been talking to investors in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, who are very interested in Miami and attaching themselves to the team. He is narrowing down the right partners, trying to find partners who share his vision and integrity. Once he knows how much money he has to spend, then he can start planning all the rest of it. That really has to come first.’’

Monday, November 10, 2014

Jurgen Klinsmann announced his roster for upcoming friendlies against Colombia and Ireland. The match will be extra-special for Colombian-American Alejandro Bedoya of Weston, whose father and grandfather played professionally in Colombia.

Here are the details from US Soccer...

CHICAGO (Nov. 10, 2014) - U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has called 25 players into camp for the final matches of the 2014 campaign. The U.S. will first meet No. 3-ranked Colombia on Friday, Nov. 14, in London. More than 20,000 tickets have been sold for the USA's first match at Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham FC (TICKETS). Kickoff is set for 2:45 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN and UniMas.

Four days later, the United States will play on the Republic of Ireland's soil for the first since 2002 when it faces the home side at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. ESPN2 and Univision begin coverage at 2:45 p.m. ET. Fans can follow both matches on Twitter @ussoccer.

"We want to finish 2014 on a high note and continue to try to meet the top teams eye to eye," said Klinsmann. "In these last two games we want our veterans to really become mentors both on and off the field, and we want to see our youngsters take advantage of the opportunity to make their case and grow from the experience. These performances will set the tone for 2015."

Klinsmann has once again chosen to blend youth and experience. A total of 16 players were part the squad that reached the Round of 16 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, led by four-time tournament veteran DaMarcus Beasley. At the other end of the spectrum, there are 12 players with 10 caps or less and an equal number that is 24 years old or younger.

U.S. MNT ROSTER NOTES

DaMarcus Beasley is the leading capwinner on the roster with 120 appearances. Jozy Altidore is second with 74 caps.

Altidore has worn the captain's armband twice in the past three matches, beginning with the 1-0 win on Sept. 3 against the Czech Republic.

Colombian-American midfielder Alejandro Bedoya has played in 10 of 13 matches for the MNT in 2014 and is on pace to tie a career best for most in a single year (12). Both his father and grandfather played professionally in Colombia.

World Cup goalkeepers Brad Guzan and Nick Rimando are headed to London, each sporting impressive records in a National Team uniform. Guzan has recorded nine shutouts in 19 career starts, with six of those clean sheets earned in World Cup qualifiers. Rimando has never lost a game for the National Team, posting a near-perfect 10-0-2 record.

Jermaine Jones, who scored a mesmerizing goal against Portugal in the World Cup in June, is again listed as a defender after having made a debut appearance at center back for the MNT in the 1-1 draw on Oct. 14 against Honduras.

Ingolstadt midfielder Alfredo Morales has helped his side to the top of the 2. Bundesliga table, appearing in all 13 matches and scoring the opening goal of the campaign. Born in Germany to Peruvian parents, Morales has been deployed as a holding midfielder and also in defense by his club.

Greg Garza earned his first start against Ecuador in his third consecutive appearance for the MNT, having made his debut in the 1-0 win against Czech Republic. The Club Tijuana left back has now competed for the United States at every age level, beginning with the U.S. Under-14 Boys' National Team.

Mix Diskerud has reached double-digit starts for the National Team. After scoring his fourth-career goal against Ecuador, the U.S. team holds a remarkable 17-1-5 record when Diskerud steps on the field.

A total of eight players join from MLS squads: Beasley, Kyle Beckerman, Matt Besler, Bill Hamid, Sean Johnson, Jones, Lee Nguyen, Rimando, Chris Wondolowski and DeAndre Yedlin. New England Revolution teammates Jones and Nguyen advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship for the first time since 2007, and Yedlin's Seattle Sounders FC faces FC Dallas in the second leg of its series Monday night with the hope of advancing to the Western Conference Championship.

Nguyen can earn his first cap for the U.S. MNT since 2007, when he made three international appearances. After entering as a substitute for Beasley in the 80th minute of the 4-1 win against China PR on June 2 in San Jose, he played two matches at Copa America in Venezuela. Nguyen (pronounced WIN) has 18 goals and five assists this season, making him a contender for the 2014 MLS MVP award.

Yedlin signed a contract to join north-London club Tottenham Hotspur, and could join the club as early as January.

Wondolowski spent the past week training at Fulham in advance of this camp.

Johnson earned both the MVP award and the Defender of the Year award for the Chicago Fire this season. He is coming off a training spell at Hull City.

Hamid backstopped D.C. United to a historic turnaround as the club was the first in the Eastern Conference to clinch an MLS playoff berth this season. A year ago, United finished the campaign with the worst record in MLS.

Minnesota United FC forward Miguel Ibarra and Stanford University striker Jordan Morris both return to the fold after debut appearances on an MNT roster this year. Ibarra became the first player from the modern NASL to be called into the National Team. The 24-year-old NASL Player of the Month for September got his first cap when entered as a 90th-minute sub in the 1-1 draw against Honduras.

Morris, who scored the game-winner for the U.S. U-23 MNT against the Bahamas in August, was named the 2012-13 Development Academy Player of the Year for the U-18 age group while playing for the Seattle Sounders FC Academy. He is the first active college player to be included on a roster under Jurgen Klinsmann.

Rubio Rubin also returns to the fold. He signed with Utrecht in July. The U.S. U-17 Residency alum was voted the 2012 U.S. Soccer Youth Male Athlete of the Year.

A state of Florida record crowd of 73,429 showed up at Sun Life Stadium last night for a spicy showdown between Brazil and Colombia! It was a rematch of their contentious World Cup quarterfinal. Brazil won on Friday, 1-0, on a free kick by Neymar.

Friday, August 22, 2014

In case you haven't heard, Brazil and Colombia are playing a friendly Sept. 5 at Sun Life Stadium, and the game will feature many World Cup stars.

The Brazil roster announced by new coach Dunga features 10 of the 23 World Cup players, including Neymar, Hulk, Oscar and David Luiz. It will be their first match since their humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany in the World Cup semifinals.

Tickets for the match are available at Ticketmaster.com or by calling the stadium box office at 305-943-6311.

Chilean Coach Jorge Sampaoli unveiled the list of 18 players from abroad who will participate in the two friendlies scheduled to be played in the United States during the month of September.

The biggest surprise was the inclusion of the 19 year old Chilean-Swiss midfielder Francisco Rodriguez from FC Zurich who is being called up to the Chilean National Team for the first time. His brother, defender Ricardo Rodriguez, played for Switzerland in the World Cup.

The list also includes 16 players who were part of the 2014 World Cup squad in Brazil and Rodrigo Millar, who missed out on the final cut.